The Eye of the Beholder
by Arashinobara Jikkankakyoku
Summary: While fleeing Alcatraz, Kaiba discovers Gozaburo's final 'gift' to him: a clone of Kaiba himself.
1. Burning Bridges

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**Arashinobara:** I am a bad, bad writer-person. I should be updating my _Reality Check_ and _In Ancient Past_... not to mention all the abandoned and neglected fics I've been – well, abandoning and neglecting. -.-;; Instead, I pop out with another ficceh! Kaiba-centric, with no pairings at the moment. 

Dedicated to Dragonwrangler (squee! Cue glomptacklage), Mishiko Shinsei (Mommy ish the bestest evarr!), Chocolate-Obsessed (aka Wifeh Muffincake of the gorgeousest loveliness and beta-osity), Blue September (aka Wifeh Chocolove, sweetest of lilies and most inspiring of starshine) and Nenya85 (Neechama-writing-mentor-person-wheehasqueeeee!)

**Here be the fic. Read and review, plzthx. :D**

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**The Eye of the Beholder**

A Yuugiou fanstory by Arashinobara

**Part One – Burning Bridges**

_**Four years ago...**_

"You say you've made a breakthrough."

"We have, Kaiba-sama. As the last four generations were, this particular specimen is aware on an intelligent level. We have honed the memory-upload technique so that the failure rate is less than one in four, and found a way to manipulate the genetic code so that the subject will respond on a greater level to outside influence until they have matured."

Satisfaction. "Excellent. And the mature age is...?"

"Approximately ten years and seventeen weeks, Kaiba-sama." Deference.

Incredulity. "Ridiculous. That is too long a period of time!"

"I beg your indulgence, Kaiba-sama. My meaning is ten years and seventeen weeks of _physical_ age. We have discovered a way to stimulate a subject's growth so that he or she reaches that 'maturity' in as little a time as three years before their growth slows and they age normally. However, risks in accelerating the physical growth rate range from potentially harmful to the subject to extremely harmful, puts a great deal of stress on their bodies, and requires immense energy –"

"That doesn't matter. This is good, Rikou-san. Tonight you may gather the sample for the final subject, and if all goes well, you can probably retire on your own private island."

"Thank you, Kaiba-sama. Would you like to see the list I have made of volunteers and possible candidates?"

Amusement. "There's no need. I already have someone in mind."

"Might I inquire after their identity?" Curiosity.

"You may, but I'm not going to tell you now. Come by the mansion tonight, at eight. Our _donor_ will be at your convenience."

"Of course." A rustling of paper sheets.

"Rikou-san, tell me a little more of our current subject. What stage is it at? Have the memories and knowledge you supplied it with been adequate to accelerate its learning rate?"

"It is, Kaiba-sama. Subject five-zero-five is able to function well beyond her physical age of eight years and nine months, and her intelligence far outstrips her true age of four years. She –"

Impatience. "Good. Have you learned all you can from it?"

More nervous shuffling of papers – a brief hesitation. "There is little more we can glean from her at this point. Observations of her can be useful, eventually."

"'Eventually' is a big 'if', Rikou-san. Dispose of it." Dismissal.

Another pause.

"Yes, Kaiba-sama."

* * *

_**Present Day**_

_**Kaiba's POV**_

_**T – 00:36:39**_

Mokuba's eyes were huge in the flashing lights. Turning away, I regarded the blocked passage, and my hands clenched.

I didn't know how a supposedly secure hallway, not set to detonate until at least a half-hour later, had caved in... but I _did_ know that Mokuba and I were almost out of time.

This particular passage would have led to one of two lifts that accessed the plane hangar. The original plan had been to set bombs that merely weakened the island structure to go off at ten-minute intervals, the final detonators on an hour-timer. It would have given the two of us more than enough time to make it to my Blue-Eyes Jet. Now, with the detour, we would be cutting it close – too close.

It had taken us a little over twenty minutes to get from the control room to where we were. It would take another twenty minutes to get to the jet now. Even if we made it, the warm-up sequence would take almost ten minutes to run its course.

We could make it. It'd be insanity, and almost certainly suicide for both myself and my brother, but I had always been good at defying the odds... for us.

But... this time...

I had hoped to eradicate Gozaburo's shadow through the destruction of what had once been the heart of his warmonger's empire. It seemed all I have proved is that Gozaburo lived within me. Alcatraz would burn, true, but I might very well sink with it, and with me...

_Mokuba..._

There was nothing for it. Pressing a tiny switch sewn into the KC insignia on my collar, I spoke into a hidden radio. "Isono."

It took a few moments for a reply to come, but in a few moments, Isono's strained voice came through the radio. _"Seto-sama! Where are you, Seto-sama! Are you with Mokuba-sama? We're looking for you!"_

"Still here." I spun on my heel, Mokuba trotting to keep up with my hasty stride. "Isono, has the Battle Ship left yet?"

"_The engines aren't working, Seto-sama! We were still here because we were looking for you, and then the pilot said –"_

"Good."

"_'Good'?"_ the aide's tone clearly indicated his incredulity. _"We are _trapped_, Seto-sama!"_

"Is the 'copter still in working condition?"

A brief pause.

"Isono, _is the medical helicopter still functional_?" I snapped.

Fubeta, my other aide, spoke into the radio over Isono's distant shouting. He sounded embarrassed. _"We didn't think of the helicopter, Seto-sama..."_

_Idiots. _Isono and Fubeta were my most loyal and resourceful aides yet – they would usually never overlook an escape route that obvious. Nevertheless, their rare oversight was my gain. "Mokuba will join you in approximately thirty minutes or less. Wait for him."

"_Mokuba-sama...? But Seto-sama, what about you? And there's no time –!"_

"There will be."

I ended the transmission and turned to face my suddenly rebellious-looking brother. "Mokuba, it shouldn't take you longer than twenty minutes to get up there, but if any of the other passages are blocked, there are plenty of alternatives."

"I _know_ my way, 'Niisama," Mokuba spat. I grimaced. "But we could both get away _now _–"

"And leave my plane to be blown up with Gozaburo's pile of scrap?" I said dryly, only half-joking. "No."

"That's not funny," my brother hissed. "We've got a way out now – it's too dangerous to stay any longer." We were approaching a fork in the halls. The right led back to the control room. The left, to a series of lifts and stairs that would take Mokuba to the surface.

Walking briskly towards the right fork, I bristled as I realised Mokuba was still half-running by my side. "What are you _doing_?"

"Following you."

My temper spiked, and I rounded on him. "Mokuba Right now, I don't care what you want, or what you think. You will _listen to me_ and _get out_." I grabbed his chin and tilted his head so that his eyes met mine. "**_Do you understand?_**"

"No." Mokuba didn't flinch, at my tone or when my fingers dug into his face. "But you'll get yourself out," he said. It wasn't a question.

Surprised by his sudden acquiescence, I blinked, lost for words. A surge of warmth in my chest brought a rare smile to my face. "I will." I pushed my brother gently, and he stumbled into the direction of the left fork. There was less than half an hour left now. I _had_ to get to that control room. "I'll need your locket."

Mokuba looked at me for a long moment before tugging the cord and pendant over his head, throwing it almost viciously at me. "I want that back, 'Niisama."

_Come back to me._

I nodded my understanding, and we turned away from one another, breaking into sprints as the central computer's warning echoed through the island.

"_Twenty minutes to detonation... evacuate all facilities immediately."_

* * *

_**Mokuba's POV**_

_**T – 00:19:56**_

Contrary to what some people thought, 'Niisama and I fought, too, and frequently. He acted as though he knew everything when he didn't know how to feed himself enough, or when to come home from work. _I _often had to remind him to eat and sleep, and dragged him outside of his office every so often in the hopes he'd get a tan and look healthier.

_'Fat chance. With the way he dresses, the only skin that'd darken would be the area around his mouth and nose, seeing as his hair covers his eyes most of the time.'_

But we _did _argue a lot. Usually, it started out as something small, and then escalate until either 'Niisama or me would lose our tempers. It would end up with him sulking in his office while I made a point to ignore him. This stand-off would continue until I'd decide he'd gone long enough without eating or sleeping, and got Fubeta to drive me to KaibaCorp where we'd yell at each other again before he consented to come home.

It seemed that nowadays, 'Niisama had to turn almost everything into a fight of some sort.

I slowed to a brisk walk as I approached a lift that would take me up to lower-ground level. Luckily, I hadn't been delayed by any other cave-ins, even though the tremors were getting stronger.

Back at the split-way, where 'Niisama had been dead-set on my leaving, and _I'd _been equally set on staying _with him_, I'd realised that I hadn't trusted his will to live enough. Granted, I'd never much trusted it since Gozaburo. Yuugi once said that 'Niisama's heart felt divided, but an army feels united under a banner – maybe my brother thought I was his. Which meant I'd be best off safe and worrying about him, while he risked his life and didn't concern himself at all. Idiot.

Of course, this entire thought process was conceited and revealed just how arrogant a Kaiba – especially a Kaiba who operated from the shadows in his brother's heart – could be. Because I could be wrong, and 'Niisama just didn't want me in the way. He could run a great deal faster without pacing himself to match my own speed, after all.

Still, I decided I could do a great deal of good by getting to the 'copter and keeping out of his way. I wasn't going to stop worrying, but I also knew when to back down.

How could I consent to match our wills in a waiting game when time was the one thing we didn't have? When lives were on the line?

I couldn't. We did owe something to Yuugi-tachi, after all.

If I were a little more insipid, and if I hadn't been raised by my brother, who hadn't ever heard of the word 'romantic', I'd be thinking that my locket would represent me in spirit and keep him safe.

That was _if_ I hadn't been raised by my brother, who hadn't ever heard of the word 'romantic'.

I grinned, and drew out a small, collapsible headset complete with 'phones, clipping a silvery bar to my collar. Thumbing on the radio, I spoke into the mic'.

"'Niisama?"

The radio crackled with static before his voice spoke into my ear. _"I was wondering how long it'd take you," _he responded. _"Where are you right now?"_

"Just exiting a lift. I'm on level LG-2, and two halls were blocked, but I'm good now. I'll get to Isono-tachi in a couple of minutes. You?"

"_Good. I'm going to give us another half-hour, then. Forty minutes 'til detonation sound good?"_

"We'll be far away enough to be safe, and still be able to see the blast!" I responded brightly, knowing that the thought pleased him. "You coming now?"

"_As... as I... Blue-Eyes..."_ static concealed most of his reply.

"'Niisama?" I asked, feeling kind of anxious. I mean, he _was_ in an unstable portion of underground building...

The radio crackled, and I heard his voice, but couldn't make out any words this time.

"'Niisama!"

A burst of static, then silence.

I _felt _my entire body go cold, then hot, then cold again.

"'Niisama..." I whispered. I'd already already turned around to retrace my steps, the thought that I _had _to make sure 'Niisama was okay half-formed in my head.

'_But... Isono-tachi... I –_'

Besides, we'd both made promises, and though I didn't really care at the moment about what 'Niisama would think of me if I went back on it, I knew I would in the future.

'Niisama was resourceful. If he got out, and found out I'd gotten myself killed because I'd tried to go after him...

Setting my jaw, I turned into a stairwell and sprinted up one last set of stairs before walking into the light.

Because if I wanted to make our dreams come alive, I had to be a Kaiba first, and a brother second.

* * *

**A/N: **Originally, I was going to write more, and did – but I decided to split the chapter in two. I thought that five thousand words – that single chapter – of dithering and reflection would render the set-up and 'backstory' somewhat... well, boring. But! By the end of the next chapter, the real plot will begin. This chapter was obviously for characterisation and a study in interaction between certain characters. 

I do so hate admitting I write for reviews... I mean, I write 'cause I'd like to get down a story idea, of course, but reviews are loveliest of life's loves. Next to sushi, Kaiba and dragons, that is... not necessarily in that order. :D Reviews let me know people are reading, and while I both adore and fear critical reviews, one-liners saying 'I'm reading' _do_ (much to my shame) make me feel happeh. So... review?

(Insert crinkleh-happeh eyes here).

- Arashinobara

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	2. Storm Rising

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**Arashinobara:** This chapter is dedicated to the lot of you for contributing on the many occasions when I ran complainingly about like a chicken with its... uhhh... feathers cut off? (Hn. That didn't make sense, did it?) But special thanks and love and adoration goes to **Hem Ntjr Seth**, whom I love and respect very much, and who helped nitpick the first chapter as well as being a constant source of light in my – ahem. Yeah. Thanks also to **Chocolate-Obsessed** simply for existing, and to **Anime-Blade** for her amusing little reaction when she read this through for me. 

**Summary **(the non-dramatic one as opposed to the non-non-dramatic one that I attempted to lure you guys in with): Alcatraz is due to explode in under an hour, the blimp isn't operational and Kaiba sends his brother to the surface as he stays below to buy everyone a little more time. During his own escape, however, Kaiba stumbles across a long forgotten remnant of Gozaburo's monstrosity. (Oh, heck, it's still dramatic, isn't it? Bite me. :P)

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**The Eye of the Beholder**

A Yuugiou fanstory by Arashinobara

**Part Two – Storm Rising**

_**Kaiba's POV**_

_**T – 00:43:04**_

My arm hurt, and I was _extremely _pissed off.

The last tremor had sparked another collapse, and it had taken down about six metres of hall. Unfortunately, I had been standing almost directly under the initial fall, and though I had managed to escape any real injury, my shoulder had been dislocated when I'd fallen incorrectly –

– and to top it all off, my tumble had crushed the fucking radio.

Mokuba must be freaking out right now. I hope he had the sense to stay put – it wasn't like he could even reach where I was. Checking that the two lockets were safely around my neck, I sighed in relief. Both of our lockets and thumb-prints would have been needed to deactivate the detonator, though only one of our 'prints would be needed to alter the time. Mokuba would kill me if I lost his locket, though – the picture in it was part of the original.

Satisfied that I wouldn't be suffering a case of death or maiming at the hands of my younger brother, I probed gently at my shoulder and grimaced. It was definitely dislocated. '_Great._' I looked up as the ceiling above me rumbled ominously, and only just manage to duck out of the way as another three feet of it caved in.

'_This is insane,_' I thought vaguely, clutching at my shoulder. '_Kinda fun, though. Except it would be nicer if I hadn't been working with only one arm._'

Well... first things first.

Grabbing my wrist, I braced myself against a wall. Forcing my arm to relax, I gritted my teeth – and pulled hard.

When my vision cleared, I was lying with my cheek plastered to the floor, and almost hyperventilating from the pain. "_Shit_," I hissed, heaving myself into an upright position. So much for that. To pop my shoulder back into its socket, I needed someone to help me... unless...

I was running out of time. I had maybe thirty minutes left now, and I'd need both hands to pilot. Taking a deep breath, I stood slowly, and turned to face the opposite wall. Leaping forward to build momentum, I couldn't help but flinch back just before I slammed into the plaster surface injured shoulder-first.

Just before I blacked out, I heard a sickening pop.

I wasn't sure how long I had been out for, but coming to, I stumbled to my feet and quickly took off at a run down the hall even as I rotated my shoulder in order to prevent it from stiffening up. It was throbbing like shit, now, but at least I could use it.

Turning my thoughts towards escape, I tried to figure out what the fastest route to my jet would be; it wasn't like I could use a lift now, seeing as the entire place was collapsing around my ears. Trying to remember the shortcut that cut through the old labs, I made a left turn and hurried on, halting abruptly as I was suddenly faced with a pair of heavy steel doors.

Swiping my locket through the card key panel and typing in a master override code, I stepped through the opening doors before breaking into a light jog. I was perhaps halfway down the hall when I heard the doors behind me shut with a loud hiss and clang. I wouldn't have thought too much of it if I hadn't heard another two slams occur in quick succession, sealing off the exit behind me, and presumably the two in front.

Then the anti-intruder security systems activated, plunging me into darkness broken only by the periodic blinking of the red siren-lights.

'_I just have no fucking _luck _today, do I?_'

As I swore long and colourfully, fumbling about in the partial darkness, the island supercomputer's cool, female voice spoke over my profane tangent.

"_Intruder in section JV246, hall 01. Security systems on manual. Intruder in section JV246, hall 01. Lockdown completed."_

A couple of minutes later, I had calmed down and was thinking rationally again. Attempting to disable the security systems would be a waste of time. After all, _I'd _helped to design them, and they were proof against anything from the feeble-minded hacks that had often been hired to steal information from the Kaiba Corporation of old, to someone like... well, myself. Or Gozaburo.

As much as I hated to admit it, I wasn't going to be able to get out.

'_Not that way, at least._'

Feeling my cheeks itch, I touched a hand to my face only to realise the insane grin stretching my face. I probably looked like Mokuba on one of his caffeine highs, but I could care less at the moment.

There _had_ to be some tanks of compressed oxygen around here. And a roll of magnesium ribbon. _And _a nice, thick table – behind an even thicker wall – that I could hide behind so I wouldn't be blown to pieces by a force roughly equivalent to that of a small bomb, made all the stronger by such an enclosed area.

Because even though the reaction in question could very well collapse the rest of the complex on top of _me_...

I grinned fiercely, and keyed open the nearest door as the alarms blared anew.

"_Thirty minutes to detonation... evacuate all facilities immediately."_

* * *

_**Fubeta's POV**_

_**T – 00:37:57**_

Under the employment of Seto-sama and Mokuba-sama, I had come to realise that dealing with the Kaibas as a team was something you _didn't want to do_. Seto-sama was the larger, the more intimidating, the one with the frightening intellect and fearsome reputation, and you would be so busy keeping an eye on him that you'd most likely have missed Mokuba-sama's subtle contributions and sly manipulation.

By the time you realised that the big-eyed kid with the sweet disposition and gentle voice was as big a threat as his imposing, cold-featured elder brother, you'd probably have wandered too deep into the brothers' trap to get out without first gnawing off a leg.

They were masterful at manipulation, and though both had reputations – one for being a ruthless businessman, and the other an innocent, unassuming kind of child that thought the best of every situation and every person – after you saw Mokuba-sama browbeat Seto-sama into eating the last breakfast roll, you quickly became disillusioned.

Maybe that was why Isono's family and mine were now the only staff working full-time in the Kaiba Mansion. My wife Minako had looked after Seto-sama during his coma, and had managed to grow rather attached to him. Personally, I think she'd just enjoyed mothering over him while he hadn't been able to reject her fussing.

However, even she had been rather disconcerted when days stretched to weeks, and weeks to months. The idea that someone with as strong a will and indomitable a bearing as Kaiba Seto could stay a _vegetable_ for the rest of his life was vaguely obscene. Though upon his waking he had immediately raked the lot of us with his displeasure and fury, it had been a great relief to see him returned to his old self... but there had been a rather significant change.

I liked it.

In my opinion, fire suited him ever so much more than ice did.

Of course, the waking, the subsequent yelling and throwing of objects before his storming off 'to the rescue' had left Minako in quite the snit. _"He can be such a prickly child,"_ Minako had said to me, miffed that Seto-sama had just run off to find his brother without giving himself any kind of proper recovery time. _"Sometimes I think what he needs is a good spanking."_

I disagreed, and told her so. Such things only applied to children of disobedience and disorder. While Seto-sama was hardly the epitome of order (you'd think someone with his reputation would know not to put his ties in the sock drawer), he hadn't done anything to disobey. Rather, as employees under his rule, _we _were the ones who owed him our obedience.

Which was why I was now waiting calmly for Mokuba-sama's appearance as Isono panicked enough for the both of us. Eventually, I got irritated at his nervous shuffling, and told him to round up the other passengers and get them into the helicopter. Glad for something to do, he hurried off, but not before making me promise half a dozen times to radio him as soon as our employers arrived.

It was Mutou Yuugi-kun, however, that first spotted my dark-haired young employer jogging briskly out of a cloud of plaster-dust. Eyeing Mokuba-sama in concern, I ran to meet him as he hailed me. "Fubeta!"

"Mokuba-sama!" I replied, relieved he looked relatively uninjured. Unnerved when I didn't glimpse Seto-sama's tall form shadowing his younger brother (because if it wasn't Mokuba-sama trailing after Seto-sama, it was the other way 'round) I gave voice to my worry. "Where's Seto-sama?" There was a brief pause in which everyone took note of the tall brunet's absence. A lump of cold dread rose in my stomach. '_Surely...?_'

Isono broke the awkward silence. "Mokuba-sama, did he –?"

"You were only told to anticipate _my_ arrival," Mokuba-sama snapped, much to everyone's shock. "Is the 'copter ready for take-off?"

"Mokuba-sama..." Isono hesitated, and nodded.

"'Niisama gave us forty minutes. We've probably got about half an hour left. Isono, give me your radio. Everyone else get on the 'copter now, and make sure everyone's on board."

Isono and I watched silently as the Battle City finalists and their companions filed onto the helicopter, the two of us mentally checking off faces and names. Hearing Mokuba-sama's impatient call, I closed my eyes and sighed.

"We have to go, you know."

Isono's reply was terse. "We can wait another ten minutes at least."

"Isono... there are children aboard... and Mokuba-sama, too," I reminded him.

His tone was bitter. "Kaiba Corporation will _lose _profits from this tournament. We're going to lose the blimp, and even Duel Disk sales won't..." he exhaled. "Seto-sama was supposed to have _fun_."

I had no response to that. When Mokuba-sama called again for us, both Isono and I boarded the helicopter. Isono paused on the step, looking back. I knew he was searching for a tall, mahogany-haired brunet, impossible to miss in his dramatic black, white and wine-hued ensemble.

Feeling the helicopter's blades start up, I swallowed the lump in my throat, and didn't look back.

"_Thirty minutes to detonation... evacuate all facilities immediately."_

* * *

_**Kaiba's POV**_

_**T – 00:23:48**_

One thing that usually came along with being a guardian was the privilege of grounding your charges.

I thought it was bullshit.

If I ever tried doing anything like that to Mokuba, the brat would worm his way out of it using a combination of wheedling, logic and sulking. Of course, the wheedling was generally excuses and justification, the logic was often annoyingly correct, and the sulking was more him ignoring me and doing his own thing until matters at Kaiba Corporation managed to fuck themselves over to the point I needed my Vice President to help me straighten things out, _but_...

I was pretty damn good, but when our father had died, I'd hardly been cut out to be a parent for a brother five years younger than myself. It was the world against us, and Mokuba was strong. I wanted a partner, not a child, so the obvious solution would be to teach what I knew to Mokuba, and trust that he'd come through.

And he had. Thanks to my younger brother's frighteningly convincing deception, Gozaburo had been completely taken in. What I'd done was easy stuff – manipulating people four times my age while possessing less than a _quarter _of my intelligence was nothing to be really proud of. But Mokuba... sometimes even I'd wondered if his tears were real, or if he was still on my side. In retrospect, that had been good, because it'd made my own reactions all the more convincing.

Of course, all the doubts were gone now. But when I did spare a thought on the subject every now and then, I'd reflect that maybe I'd taught him a little too well. It was surprisingly easy to admit that I didn't like how Mokuba could read me better than I could read him. Sometimes I worded my intentions and thoughts a little less... _sanely_, just to get more of a reaction.

'_Ha. All that shit about sinking myself into the sea..._' my mouth tightened and I snorted, blinking irritably through my goggles as I eyed the magnesium wick I'd set up. '_Well, it _did_ sound rather suicidal, but... hn. Gozaburo is such a bastard. Where are those fucking matches?_'

The dull, silvery magnesium ribbon wound around the counter and out of sight; standing, I traced its passage out of the room and followed it into another lab where I'd pushed several oxygen tanks against a wall. It was to these that the metallic ribbon led.

At first, I had been unsure if the magnesium flame would be enough to burn through the thick tanks to set off the explosive reaction. In the end, I had resolved it would have been entirely too risky to spring a leak; the gas' compressed nature promised a volatility that earned a healthy amount of respect from me.

I hadn't been able to stop grinning since I'd thought of blowing up the labs in which I had first _learned _to make explosives. Every now and then, I'd catch my expression in a reflective surface, briefly contemplate how _moronic _I looked, then decide it didn't matter. No one could see me, being as the security cameras weren't exactly on surveillance right now.

I briefly considered turning on all the gas taps as well, but decided against it. After all, I only wanted to make a hole in the wall into the next lab, _not_ bring down the entire building on top of me. As absolutely _thrilling _as that would be, Mokuba would be pretty furious if I never returned his master access card to him.

The computer's voice chimed another warning.

"_Twenty minutes to detonation... evacuate all facilities immediately."_

'_Cutting it a little close, ne?_' I thought. The idiotic grin was back on my face, and I struck the match, watching interestedly as the sulphur head caused a brief flare before the flame began to eat at the wood.

'_This is it._'

I watched the wick burn a short-lived, glowing trail through the floor where the magnesium-fuelled flame passed over, and on sudden impulse, stood and thumbed off all the light switches so that the only light in the room was the bright, whitish blaze and its reddish, serpentine succession.

Soon, the glow dimmed from view as it wound around the doorframe and out of sight. I blinked rapidly several times, realising my mistake in turning off the lights as purplish sparks danced in my vision. Grumbling, I tore open a wrapped pair of earplugs and popped them into place, snapping my fingers a few times to check they were in properly. I wasn't going to survive this insane venture only to find my eardrums had been destroyed by the explosion.

As if on cue, the world tilted crazily with a muffled _boom_, and I found myself flat on my back, covered in plaster dust, my hand itching as it lay in a pool of spilled chemical. Crawling out from beneath the table and grimacing as my injured shoulder throbbed in complaint, I coughed and flinched as I stumbled up and out of the lab, my gait smoothing as my legs steadied. Tearing the cracked goggles off of my face and throwing them randomly over my shoulder, I followed the trail of scorched metal marking the magnesium fuse's passage, tripping once or twice, regaining my balance only in time to skid on rubble.

Then I was treading carefully through a room charred black, coming to a sudden halt in the hole I had blown through the wall _into another laboratory_ and –

_Stopped_.

I felt vaguely light-headed, though I wasn't sure if it was a by-product of the disgust I felt, or something else entirely. Perhaps it was fear, and anger, and a little bit of...

I licked my lips. Forced moisture into a dry mouth. Was acutely aware of the seconds ticking away, made note of the exit on the other side of the high-ceilinged laboratory.

Tried not to pay too much attention to the sickly yellow light emitted by the cylindrical containment unit in the middle of the room.

Tried not to think about how the sick thing had _my_ face, _my_ body,_ my_ arms and hands and legs and toes and hair and _fuck_, if it woke up, I was fairly sure that its eyes were the same colour as mine.

"Impossible," I said, and I wasn't sure who I was addressing. Gozaburo, perhaps, or even the creature

_my past_

slumbering peacefully in a foetal position, the transparent plastic-glass-something-material of what was _obviously_ a nutrition tank serving as its twisted womb.

And because I could, because I spotted the hairline flaws criss-crossing from where a displaced part of wall from the explosion had impacted...

The twisted pipe was cool in my hand. Heavy.

_Perfect_.

I hefted it. Felt the weight. Sighted the not-womb's largest flaw – its weakest point.

"_Fifteen minutes to detonation... evacuate all facilities immediately."_

The glass shattered.

* * *

_...was warm. Hadn't been warm in so long._

_Heard a sigh, felt itself being lifted._

_Shifted, just a little, to press its face into the heat. So much heat, where it had been so cold before..._

_And a voice, frozen and furious and puzzled and confused all at once, murmuring words it knew but could not understand:_

"The best laid plans of mice and men,"_ Father murmured, eyes hard and arms withholding comfort, _"often go awry."

_'Gang aft agley,'_ _it thought happily (this _was _happiness, was it not?) and slept._

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**Arashinobara: **Well, I guess that's it for now. I was kind of disappointed about the feedback I got last time (lowest ever, go me!) because I think this is an interesting style I've attempted and I like it. I liked the thoughts that went into it, and I'm not sure if it was the summary or whatever that people didn't like. /shrugs/ Either way, I hope you enjoyed it this time 'round, and will hopefully read and review and follow the rest of the fic (hotdamn, I hope this one gets finished...).

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